Listen to the Body - Or Not

 Listen to your body they say.  I say - that is only partly true.   

My opinion -   Yeah, when it screams pain, you need to listen.  When you are extending it past the good recovery process, and you know it, you might want to listen to the body.  Or, maybe you don't. 

Over 40 years of this tells me that my body is lazy.  My body is pure creature, craving comfort and ease. My body would never do anything unless I made it to and it would become completely sedentary and dedicated to rapid atrophy. Left to its own will, the body would kill itself with me in it, with its cravings for ease and comfort. 

The body doesn't have a brain of its own.  It only responds to satisfying its own desires even if it kills itself.  It doesn't think ahead.  It doesn't consider the consequences of its inaction.  The bottom line is the body may be talking but it doesn't have a brain.  Would you listen to someone without a brain?  

The last three mornings I went out to do my mountain bike ride and a short brick run.  And each morning, I almost quit the first fifteen minutes into it.  The body was moaning and groaning, complaining that I was pushing it too hard with too much too soon, complaining about the heat and how I might mess myself up in this heat if I didn't find a cool place to hide out from effort.  And then it reminds me how old I am and how I should be taking it easy, not pushing in this heat   Yes, the body may be talking but it doesn't have a brain.  Sounds like some people I have met.  

I'm the one with a brain.  I'm the one who makes the decision "to be or not to be."  Anybody can cave into comfort and listen to your body.  And you and I have the brain to decide:   do we want to be just anybody?

Now, I Know What to Pray

 Self-sufficiency comes with a price.   Several people we have had to come work on the place say that we have what everyone wants; a quiet place in the country.  However, nothing stops anyone from having it except a deep down "want it."  Out here in the country, you have to put out a lot of work and be able to figure things out. There is a lot to be done on your own and there are a lot of downsides to it. Most want the benefits of country living without paying the full price.  It is like the story of the husband listening to his wife playing the piano.  He remarks how beautifully she plays and he says he wished he could play like that.  She replies. "well obviously, not enough to practice at it."

Most people don't truly pursue what they say they wish for. Most don't even try. I say all that to say this:  I count myself among those "I wishers." I say I am a triathlete but I haven't done one in years.  I say I want to do an ironman but at my age I can find a ready excuse to not to even try.  

The benefit of all this is  I see other "I wishers." and it enable me to see my own weakness and faults.  At least I learned something in my folly and I thank God for the self-revelation and pray that I may become  the pianist who plays well because I practiced.  I can pray to overcome my lesser self.  Now I know what to pray. Thanks God.

Check and Renew

 Got in over 3  hours of training plus a weight and flexibility work yesterday and this morning on a mountain bike ride I just bonked after a short time.  I didn't see that coming. 

After a records recheck, I could see why.  My workout yesterday was out of my usual comfort zone.  And the last time I did that much I did a very light workout the next day.  

As the Bible says, "The truth shall make you free."  However, if you don't hold the "truth" in memory, it gets lost in the maze of everyday life and expectations.  Knowing the truth from an infrequent encounter is not the same as using the truth God gives us for everyday guidance.  The truth about truth is  we either "use it or lose it."   We can't ignore the truths in life any more than we can ignore the need to exercise without negative consequences.

The truth is like a bike light you can let the battery go dead and forget to check and renew and the next time you need it, you are in the dark So, the lesson from a bonk:  the truth is the path/  Stay with it, refresh it and keep free from going off course.  Check and renew often.  "The truth shall set you free."

Special Moments

 This morning I did an 8 1/2 mile mountain bike ride in my woods. Stopped a couple times for a drink and back in those woods, it was stifling.  

However, when I  came in and put the bike up, and sat down down on my front porch, my wife, came out with a cold beer she had put in the freezer (non-alcoholic) for me...Ice crystals and all YES !    Sitting there reveling in the moment  I took it all in ...the good ride, the quiet setting, the beautiful gesture, the great day, all of it.  Praise God!!

This is a moment to hold close.  And I am grateful for them as long as they last.  Thank God

Heat and Humidity

 Worked on my septic system for a while this morning.  Digging and patching up the tank.  Not a dry thread on me.  The heat and humidity were abysmal.  While I have had some regrets over not doing Waco facing down this heat and humidity to do long runs wasn't something I am going to miss. Yesterday consisted of completing the debris (limbs) removal from all the previous storms so my friend can come mow with his tractor and batwing mower.  People want quiet places in the country but in my world that comes with a price.  But, it's worth it overall.  Hot and humid yesterday as well.  

The residual fatigue is pretty debilitating, but probably not as much as trying to do serious training in this sauna.  

Race day I might miss Ironman Waco 70.3, but right now, not so much.

An 80 Year Old's Journey Toward Ironman Waco 70.3 Oct 6th - THE END

It's done.  I withdrew this morning.  It was hard but it might be later.  I am so tapped out, so disappointed, so ready for rest.  It doesn't seem so bad to get off this train.  It was good to be trying to get on track for a month.  I would have never gotten through this far without God.  If nothing else, I learned to trust Him more through all t this. And, I trust Him for the rest of my story beyond this event.  

Will my story go on? I am not sure.  In this foggy state of heat induced fatigue, I think I would be more comfortable not doing anything challenging again.  It will be interesting to see how this all fleshes out whtn the other person wakes up ans sees what I have  done. 

It's all in God's hands now.  It always was.

An 80 Year Old's Journey Toward Ironman Waco 70.3 Oct 6th - Day 29-30

 I almost wrote this blog was the end of the journey but couldn't or didn't do it.  Maybe tomorrow.  It seems the farther I slide down the  hill on the will to go on, the more I seem to bounce back with more effort and planning. This could be a gift from God and an indication that I should go on.  But then again, it could be just my stubborn pride not letting me let go and do the best thing.  Right now, I don't know which it is and I am just going to go on; one more day, maybe one more week. 

Then again, isn't this fun, riding against the wind.  How can I fail? No one expects an old creeper to do this.  The worst that can be is that I have had a good wrestling match and stretch myself to go farther than I thought I might.  The other option is I could have better used that time watching the news, getting angry and experiencing various ways to feel really depressed and fearful. 

So I go on until I get the clear sound from God to quit, I 'll just follow the  trumpet sound to charge on with my training.  Thank you God however this turns out, it has been a great experience.